How many credit cards to carry and where to have them

Well, I am someone who has 11 credit cards in Apple Pay, so I will always vote for more. 😊 I once went on a two-week trip, and accidentally left my wallet behind with my credit cards in it, and Apple Pay saved me, so I always want as many options as possible.

That said, I'm sure many will think I'm a little bit on the overkill side, so I think that two would be fine, but I would check to see what kind they are. For example, if one is an American Express card, I would definitely have at least two more cards that are Visa and/or MasterCard. I also think about where I'm staying. Sometimes I will stay in an IHG hotel, so I always make sure I have my IHG credit card available on Apple Pay. And of course, any airline credit cards that might be relevant.

ETA: just an FYI, I also never wear a waist belt or a hidden money belt. I've been fine with my cross-body bag, and I always make sure everything is secure.

The apple pay card is my JetBlue Mastercard, the other is a Visa card. I could easily add a card to my Apple pay. I'm a new convert to Apple pay and was stunned at how easy it made my life in Scandinavia since I never had to open my bag

I don't keep my credit card in the side wallet of my bandolier when traveling as it would be fairly easy to pick it -- I keep it inside the small purse I wear attached to the shoulder strap and that has an inside zipped pocket. Mostly I use apple pay with the phone, so the card is for the rare occasion that touch doesn't work.

I also have as a back up an ATM/debit card which I could use if the credit card were lost or compromised. It is also possible to lock your credit card on your phone when you are not needing it which lowers the possibility of the card being compromised.

We have 4 cards and all are on Android Google Wallet. In 2M here in France, I have used only 1 both in card form and with the Wallet. No issues.

I have a credit card and two debit cards in my wallet, and two backup credit cards plus a debit card that I keep in the passport wallet in my carryon luggage (which I leave in the hotel). I normally carry €80 or so in cash, but can't remember the last time I had to use it. It's probably overkill, but no harm in being prepared!

A few thoughts - I have cards with three different banks, on the basis that I have experienced situations where one bank's entire network was down for 12 hours.

My main reason for having multiple cards is in case one is comprised and cancelled, I have a backup. I have all of them on my phone as well, and can also use my bank app for QR code payment, which is popular here in SE Asia.

I just carry my cards and cash in my wallet, the same way I do at home. I travel for work probably 1/3rd of the year, and frankly I don't feel any less safe traveling than at home, but obviously do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

DSG, add all of your cards, even the ones you aren't bringing with you, to your Apple Wallet.

In the event that you lose a card or it is compromised, your card company should be able to update your Wallet with the new card information.

When I had a fraud alert from Citibank, they updated my Apple Wallet with the new MasterCard number before I even finished the call to them. I could use my phone to pay while waiting for the physical card to be mailed.

Do what you are comfortable with. I travel alone and haven't used a money belt in decades.

I usually travel with 2 credit cards + 1 debit card, and keep them in different places. That’s pretty much the safest setup.
One thing people often mention here is not to rely on just one account - if it gets flagged for fraud, both cards can stop working.
So my setup is:
primary card in wallet
backup card in a different bag
debit card for ATM withdrawals
Also worth having some cash, especially in smaller places where cards aren’t always accepted.

I agree that you should add all your cards to your Apple Pay unless any of the cards is going to incur international transaction fees (I think this is becoming more rare, but it's something to look out for). If your debit card is in this category, there's nothing to be done about it now (unless you have another debit card that doesn't incur fees). I have never used the money belt I bought years ago at Rick's recommendation. Nor the little bra wallet that I thought would be more comfortable.
Les Frenchies on YouTube have several videos on how to avoid getting pickpocketed:
https://www.youtube.com/@LesFrenchiesTravel/search?query=pickpocket

I have all my cards in Apple Wallet. I didn’t so this previously but I’ve read multiple accounts where people had a card lost or stolen and the bank was able to update their Apple Wallet while they waited for a new physical card.

I bring two credit cards and two debit cards. I carry one credit and debit card in an interior pocket in my purse along with my phone. The other two are in a different place; sometimes I just hide them in my suitcase in the hotel.

"When I had a fraud alert from Citibank, they updated my Apple Wallet with the new MasterCard number before I even finished the call to them. I could use my phone to pay while waiting for the physical card to be mailed."

Yes, this. Except I had it happen (at home) with my AMEX card. It was updated by the time I got off the phone.

Will you have a cross body purse as well or just the bandolier with the phone?

I am a solo traveler and usually have 3 credit cards and 2 debit cards with all 3 CCs and 1 Debit in my Apple Wallet. I carry the actual cards in a card case in my cross body purse which I usually have fastened into the purse either via a zipper pocket or a small ring sewn into the bottom and attached with a coil or strap and carabiner.

BTW, I have been taking that many CCs because it gives me a HUGE credit limit in case there is an emergency and I need to throw money at some situation, lol.

I have not been spending much cash on my last trips, having done everything with AppleWallet but this time (based on Emma's response in one of the now-locked threads on potential threats) I'm going to have about 200E as a fall back. I'm not sure how much Euro I have left over from my last trip so will count that in the next few days.

Having twice had my credit-union debit card fail at ATMs on Day 1 despite having filed a travel notification, I don't set out for a trip without at least two debit cards. I'd be much less concerned on a trip exclusively to countries where card usage is possibl virtually everywhere, but I spend considerable time at relatively cash-heavy destinations.

I have a long, sad history of leaving a trail of credit cards behind me. I'm much more careful now, but I remember the sinking feeling when I realized I needed not only to contact the issuer of the lost card but also to update the autopayments linked to them. (My trips are long, so it's not always OK to wait to update the autopayments.) I now travel with three credit cards so if I lose one, I'm not nervous about having only one card with me for the rest of the trip.

I do now have some of my cards in my Google Wallet. I haven't had to replace a card since I started doing that, so I don't know that all replacements would be instantaneous. That would definitely be helpful. One of my lost credit cards took about ten days for the replacement to reach me in Europe; not all will get you a new card in three days.

I leave excess cards in my locked suitcase back in my hotel room. That often includes both debit cards, since I don't use a debit card often. I am now realizing I should split up those extra cards inside my suitcase. On hotel-change days I try to wear my money belt but sometimes it doesn't happen. If it's not on my body, the money belt is buried at the bottom of my largish cross-body bag--not a good place for it in places where the motorized-grab technique is heavily employed.

I’m not suggesting it never happens; but traveling in foreign countries since 1995, I have never had a cc or debit card stolen. What has happened more than once was a debit card wouldn’t work. The worst example was our Wells Fargo card not working during an entire trip to Spain, despite numerous calls to them. Now I carry debit cards on 2 accounts and 2 credit cards.
Amex is less useful than Visa or Master Card because some businesses, especially small ones, don’t accept it. However, it does include good rental car insurance (but not in Italy and maybe some other places).
You should let all card issuers know of your travel plans. Also call them to get the most recent benefit information, like rental car insurance.

On the carrying of plastic:

I carry 4 credit cards, Visa and MC, all equipped with the PIN , (my own 4 digits) , no debit card, no Apple Pay , and a good amount of Euro cash, almost all 20 and 50 denominations. All cash and credit cards are on my person, none of it in the carry-on or personal item. no day bag, cross bag, or back pack either.

I have on the neck pouch and the hidden pocket plus the waist belt.

I carry two credit cards both physical cards and in Apple Wallet. One is my daily use card, the other is from a different bank as my primary back up. I have a third credit card in Apple Wallet only. This is for emergency only because the physical card is at home for hubby to use if he needs a back up card. The only ATM card I carry is physical card only for my little "travel account." if I need more money in it, I can transfer from a primary account.
Daily credit card and daily cash are in my wallet zipped in my purse. Back up credit card and ATM card are in my money belt, along with passport, global entry card, excess cash and insurance cards.

Solo female here.
I carry my regular cc and debit card along with my passport and $100 in local currency for emergencies, in my underclothing money belt.
It is rarely accessed , just there for secure deep storage, and never leaves me except to sleep and shower.
Put everything in a ziploc bag, then wrap a paper towel round the bag to keep it from getting moist from sweat.

In my crossbody bag, secured at each zip with tiny carabiners, I have cc and debit cards from a totally different bank.
These have a very low amount on and in them.
In case of theft, I can afford to “eat” the loss, but couldn’t if my regular ones were lost.
I use these when on my trip.
The ones in the moneybelt are for real emergencies only.
I don’t carry much cash in my crossbody bag, maybe $50 in local currency.
I don’t use a phone to pay for anything, it’s too old to support the technology needed.

"Having twice had my credit-union debit card fail at ATMs on Day 1 despite having filed a travel notification, I don't set out for a trip without at least two debit cards."

Yes, this is exactly why I started carrying 2 as well! Fortunately I'd added my brother as my contact person so he called the CU, talked with a manager (who's nephews played ball with my nephews) and it was straightened out quickly. BUT I was in a little panic for 24 hours as it was before contactless payment methods were invented, lol.

I travel with two credit cards, one debit card, and $200 (US) or 200€ emergency cash. The two credit cards are never carried in the same place, only one is in my wallet.

DSG,
We travel exactly like Tocard. Neither of us has a smart watch and don't have any plans to invest in one, so the most advanced tech we could do is use our phones to pay for things. However, we are both comfortable with and confident of our two CCs and one debit card for ATM needs. Crossbody bags and waist belts under our clothes have always worked fine for us. We still haven't set up Google pay on our Android phones. I know, we are troglodytes! But we are comfortable in our routines. And we carry some cash and every trip we have found a few times that we have needed cash. (Go figure!) Do and use what is most comfortable for you.

"You should let all card issuers know of your travel plans. "

This seems to be quite bank specific. My Australian bank wants a travel notification which you can do on their app), while my Singapore bank doesn't - people here travel so much that international usage tends to be part of a standard spending pattern.

For all those who use apple or google wallet and put the cards on them - are you extra careful about guarding your phone? I'm asking because I'm genuinely curious. I have 1 card in my google pay account but haven't activated it on my pixel phone yet. I generally carry my cards in an inner pants pocket or crossbody bag that's under my coat and in crowds usually keep my hand on it. At home, I keep the card in a sleeve in my zipped jacket pocket and have never found it a hassle to pull it out to tap and pay either in stores or on subways (where available). I did have one card set up on my phone but kept nfc off so if I really wanted to use it I would have to change the settings. Then my phone died and I worried about making sure I could wipe all the info off of it (had to send it back for replacement). Anyway, I'm now ready to emerge from the dark ages and plan to put at least one card on the phone google wallet. Although I may still keep NFC off. Probably overkill, I know. But for those that use their phones to pay, do you have to use fingerprint/facial rec/password to open it? I know there's a way on the pixels to reprogram the power button so doubleclick opens the wallet for faster paying but what if you lose your phone? I'm just wondering how this all works in every day practice. BTW I've never actually lost my phone but have had one die with no warning.

I’ve been wondering about using my smart phone to store my credit/debit cards. I’ve not yet done so as it seems safer to me to have one or two credit cards handy, and the other credit cards and debit cards safely stored where I am staying. It seems to me that, we’re I to lose my phone with any number of credit card/debit cards on it that would create a much worse situation than me just losing one credit card. Am I missing something here?

This is an interesting thread to follow - especially as I’m leaving next week for my first solo trip.

I usually carry my cards in my neck pouch - which is sometimes worn around my neck and sometimes tucked into my belt bag I wear. And I do worry when I pull a card out - that I’m going to mistakenly pull out and drop another card or forget to close the neck pouch and something will fall out.

So for this trip, I have loaded a card to my Google wallet and will try that out. It does seem better than pulling out my neck pouch and rooting around for a credit card.

" It seems to me that, we’re I to lose my phone with any number of credit card/debit cards on it that would create a much worse situation than me just losing one credit card. Am I missing something here?"

Think of it this way - if you have cards loaded on your phone, you must have screen lock activated, meaning to access rhe cards whoever has taken/found your phone needs to know your PIN to unlock and access the cards (assuming you haven't left if unlocked, which is unlikely). You can also either remotely wipe your phone, or remove your cards from phone pay if you lose your phone.

Using phone pay reduces the risk of card skimming, as the card is 'tokenised', so your actually card number is not accessible to the merchant when tapping.

@Simon, what a great explanation!

@Kay - try this at home before you travel and you will see how handy it is!

That was a good explanation, Simon. All of those who are nervous about putting cards in your digital wallet, all I can do is tell you that I have been using Apple Wallet for over 10 years and I have never once had a problem. In fact, I’ve been much more likely to forget my credit cards or lose one than I would my phone with the digital cards in there. For what it’s worth, I am a solo female traveler.

And really, it’s just so much easier. I usually don’t even bring my physical wallet with me when I’m out during the day as it’s much quicker to just pull out my phone. I also like that I can quickly skim the cards I have in there so that I can use the one I want for the appropriate purchase, rather than having to shuffle through lots of credit cards. Of course probably not too many people have as many cards as I do. 😂

Split the cards. If your crossbody gets snatched, you lose everything at once. Put the debit or a backup card in your suitcase or a different bag.